Cotton chopper



160v. is, 1930.

J. w. ALLEN 1,781,829

COTTON CHOPPER Filed June 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l mum" mmnnnmm ..n' mlummmmmlllll 6 2 P? 5% HIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIHllll? IIIIIIHHHIIHHIII" -.-1.!I-.IIIHHIIHHILHHHIIIIIIII J. w. ALLEN COTTON CHOPPER Nov. 18, 1930.

Filed une 25, 1929 ZShets-Sheet 2;

0 f w w n 2 9 1E 2 0 a ,3 z a 3 1: cgf fi Gnome V Patented Nov. 1 8,1930 UNITED- STATES PATENT :oF cs 1 JOHN w. ALLEN, or rnEsn fcAnIFoRNIAcorrou CHOPPER Application filed. 311116 25; 1929. Serial No. 373,563.

This invention relates to cotton choppers of the type wherein thechopping blades rotate in vertical-planes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means forautomatically moving the chopping blades to their inactive POSltlOIlS-above the ground surface when. the machine is thrown out of operation,ehminating any possibility of damage to cotton; plants by the 20 nationand arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thefrom the spirityof the invention.

Referring to the drawings: 7 Figure 1 is a bottom plan viewof a cottonchopper constructed in accordance with the '30 invention, the axle beingshown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the cotton chopper.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

4 4 of Figure 2. 1

Referring to the drawings in detail, the cotton chopper embodies an axle5 which is the same type of axle as used on the ordinary straddle rowcultivators, which axle is supported by theusual ground, wheels 6;

Secured to'the axle-'5, isa bracket 7- whichf is provided with bearings8 and 9 respectively, in which the auxiliary shaft 10 isjourQ naled. Y

The reference character 11' designates a hanger that is secured to theshaft 5' and is provided with a bearing 12 in which the shaft 10 ismounted. Secured to one end-of 50 the shaft 10 isa pinion '13 thatmeshes with 1 Figure 4 is a sectlonal View taken online the pinion 14secured to the hub of the ground wheel 6, at one side of the frame.Splined on the shaft 10 is a beveled opinion 15 .that has a c0llar'16formed with a groove. to receive the forked end 17 of the bell crankiflever 18 which-is pivota-lly supported on the bar 19 of the frame of themachine. Connected with the bell crank lever, is a rod 20 that connectswith the end 21 ofthe lever f 22whichis pivotally supported on the'arm{M V 23 that'is formedlwith a keeper 24 with which the slidingibolt 25cooperates in holding the v lever 22 in various positions of adjustment.

j The 'framealso includes spaced rearward ly extendedbars 26' that havebearings at g5 their rear ends in. which the axle 27'- is journaled,theshaft being supported by the trail ing Wheels'28': A bearing 27 ismounted'on' the rear axle and receives one end ofthe shaft 28 on whichthe arms 29 that carry the chopping blades 20, are mounted. Supportedwithin the bearing 31 that is carried; at the lower end of the hanger82, is a'shaft'83 to which the pinion 34 is secured, the pinioiiBL 25scope of what is claimed, withoutodepartlng' of the universal joint 35,so that rotary move 'ment, of shaft 33 is imparted tothe shaft 28 torotate the chopping blades. j 1 f v 89 As clearly shown by Figure' 2 ofthe draw- 'ings, the shaft provided with an ofl set portion 36 on whichthe collar-37 is'mounted, the collar being-provided with an 'eye throughwhichthe lower end, of the. coiled as spring 38, extends, the oppositeend of. the coiled spring 38 beingformedinto ahook and'passed through anopening formed in the end '21 of the lever 22 so that when theleve'rj 22is"pulled lrearwardly to 'throw'the 90. pinion 15 out ofmesh with thepinion 34, the spring" 38fwi11 beplaced under tension ex-v f 'erting apull on. the olfsetportion 36 of the shaft 28,. causing the shafti28 torotate to a predetermined position, orto a position as shown by Figure4;, wherein the chopping blades areheld IHPOSltlOIlS above the ground isurface over which the machine is moving.

It might be further stated thatthe rear;

ends ofthe bars 26iare-piv0tally connected f to the endsof the axle 27,the forward endsof the bars being pivotally connected to the bearings 12which constitute hangers. The hoes which are driven by shaft 28, that issupported in a bearing attached to the axle 2T, rotate or travel in acircle greater than the distance between the trailing wheels 28, thehoes being set to travel as close to the trailing wheels as possible, sothat the trailing wheels 28 act as guards protecting the cotton and)reventin the hoes 'froin throwing clods of dirt onto the cotton whichis left standing untouched by the hoes.

The trailing wheels are provided so that the hoes will cut at a uniformdepth at all times regard-less of the unlevel condition of the groundsurface over which'the machine is moving. i A

Thus it will beobvious that when the cotton chopper is used in thecultivation of cotton.--the operator may 32 throw the shaft 28 out ofoperation to stop the rotation of the member carrving thechoppingblades, to the end that the chop-- V eration.

ping blades will miss the smaller blades, when it is desired to leavethe soil uncultivated where the cotton may be thin. I

By moving the lever 22 forwardly, the pinion 15 will again be throwninto operation to carry out the chopping result.

I claim: .7

1. In a cotton chopper, a frame, a main shaft supported by the frame,chopping blades rotated by the shaft, said shaft having an offsetportion, a controlling lever, means actuated by the controllinglever-for throwing the shaft into and out of operation, and

a coiled spring connected with the lever and having connection: with theoffset: portion of the shaft for moving the shaft to its initialposition when the lefierfis operated to'throw the shaft out ofoperation.

on'set frame, a shaft having an iounted on the frame, chopping bladesoperated by the shaft, a collar mounted on the offset portion of theshaft, a coiled spring connected with the collar mounted on the of' setportion, a controlling lever for throwing the shaft into and out ofoperation, and said coiled spring having connection with the conitrolling lever'to move the shaft to its initial thrown out of oppositionwhen the shaft is In testimony thatl claim the foregoingas my own, Ihave hereto affixed: my signature. V OHN ALLEN.

3 pulling the lever

